In an e-mail today to Walmart affiliated optometrists from Dr. Chad Overman, director of professional relations, he announced in relationship to Walmart and 1800Contacts that:

“Given future diverging business interests, a decision has been made to end our relationship effective December 31, 2012”

This isn’t 1800Contacts’ first divorce. As I explained before, 1800Contacts shacked up with a regional optical in Utah, Standard Optical, a few years before their civil union with Walmart in 2008.

Dr. Overman continues:

“Even before our alliance with 1-800 Contacts, our patients have counted on us to provide them a broad assortment of contact lenses at affordable prices, and our pledge to them and you is that we will continue to do so. In the event your patients have questions, thank them for their continued trust and patronage and provide them assurance of our continuance of this commitment…
Why are we ending our relationship?
Our customers trust us to provide a broad assortment of products at everyday low prices, and we approach every business decision through this lens.”

The last few years I did enjoy how we typically get contact lens orders to patients in just two days. That’s great customer service, but I’ll bet it’s more cost expense than Walmart is willing to pay in hopes of keeping prices low. I guess we’ll go back to saying “about a week?”